Ok, that was just to get your attention.  No one has ever really said that. In fact, it’s the opposite.  Many of us think about what we could have done differently to have allocated more free time with our kids.  Here are some suggestions I’ve compiled to help all of us make the most of our time raising kids (or grandkids):

  • Teach your children to do more than they are asked to do.
  • Help your child discover his or her God-given abilities—then develop them.
  • Instill honesty in your children.
  • Hug your kids.
  • Let them help plan your next vacation.
  • Take your kids out for ice cream after they’ve performed in sports, drama or music, especially if they didn’t do very well.
  • When you talk to your children, get to their level and look them in the eye.
  • Kiss your kids good-night every evening, even if it wakes them up.

Many children leave home around age 18 for college or to pursue other interests.  That means you have approximately eighteen Christmas’s, birthdays, summer vacations, etc. with them at home.  We all know they go by fast. Make the time you have with them memorable, joyful (mostly) and spent in a way neither of you will regret.